Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Health Tips for September 30

Health Tip: Get Enough Sleep

You feel better when you're well-rested, but insufficient sleep can affect more than your cheerful disposition.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says lack of sleep has been linked to development or worsening of these chronic health conditions:

  • Type 2 diabetes.
  • Cardiovascular disease (notably heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia, stroke and high blood pressure).
  • Depression.
  • Obesity.

Health Tip: Nightmares Keeping You Up?

While nightmares mostly affect children, even adults have an occasional bad dream.

Why do nightmares happen? The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers this list of possible causes:

  • Being stressed or anxious, often resulting from a significant life event.
  • Withdrawing too quickly from alcohol use, or drinking too much alcohol.
  • Having a sleep disorder, such as narcolepsy.
  • Being sick with a fever.
  • Having a side effect or reaction to a drug.
  • Eating too close to bedtime, which raises your metabolism and increases brain activity.

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